Bishops and the government in Italy just collaborated on guidelines for what to do with unused churches now up for sale, and the main takeaway, unsurprisingly, is a clear preference for turning them into libraries and community centers versus hotels, discos or nightclubs.

As Italian authorities continue to grapple with what’s so far the biggest outbreak of coronavirus outside of Asia, Catholic aid workers continue tending to the poorest, without losing their sense of humor.

This week several major Italian dioceses have canceled Ash Wednesday services and suspended public Masses amid growing alarm over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Italy, which at the heart of the worst outbreak in Europe.